Eyeglass hinge pin repair kit

ABSTRACT

A kit for repairing an eyeglass frame that has lost a hinge pin comprises a container with at least one hinge pin therein, the hinge pin being locally plastically deformable at one end thereof, and instructions for installing the hinge pin in the frame. The replacement hinge pin is deformable either by softening or melting with a small flame or other heat source, or alternatively has a soft end portion which is mechanically deformable. The hinge pin has a first end with a diameter larger than a largest body diameter of a body of the pin and further has an easily detachable handling tab attached to the first end, the pin being again locally deformable at a second end thereof. In this case the a user inserts the pin into a hinge of the eyeglass frame, deforms a second end of the pin to give it a diameter greater than the maximum body diameter of the hinge pin, whereby the earpiece is pivotally secured by the pin, and then removes the tab. A first possibility for the tab is a generally flat, thin member that is easily grasped by a thumb and forefinger. A second possibility for the tab is a series of connected identical hinge pins that are easily separated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application is a division of pending application Ser. No.08/607,910, filed Mar. 21, 1996, pending which is a continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 08/132,310, filed Oct. 6, 1993, now abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to devices and methods for the repair of eyeglassframes by hinge pin replacement, and in particular to a kit for makingsuch repair.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

A perennial problem with eyeglass frames is that the hinge pins, whichare normally threaded, tend to work loose and get lost, resulting in anunwearable frame. Conventional repair kits furnish similar threadedhinge pins or screws and a small screwdriver for installing them.

The length, diameter, and type of thread on the hinge pin can all vary,so that there is first of all a problem with matching the original hingepin. Even if a perfect match is obtained, however, the hinge pins, beingtiny, are difficult to handle and to install.

Generally, the installer, whose eyesight is not very good without herglasses, manages to drop the replacement pin at least once and is forcedto crawl around on the floor searching for it. Finally, even asuccessful replacement operation merely staves off the day when the pinworks loose again and the whole process has to be repeated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the problems traditionally associated with eyeglass framehinge pins, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel andimproved kit for replacing such pins with a minimum of trouble andincreasing the mean free time against failure of the hinge.

In a first embodiment the invention comprises a container, at least onehinge pin in the container, the hinge pin being locally plasticallydeformable at one end thereof, and instructions for installing the hingepin in the frame. One type of replacement hinge pin is deformable bysoftening or melting with a small flame or other heat source. Mothertype has a soft end portion which is mechanically deformable.

In the case of the first type of hinge pin, which can be a plasticmaterial such as nylon, the instructions comprise text and/or picturesinforming a user of the kit to melt a first end of the pin to form afirst deformed end with a diameter greater than the maximum diameter ofthe hinge pin, insert the pin into a hinge of the eyeglass frame, andthen melt a second end of the pin to form a second deformed end with adiameter greater than the maximum diameter of the hinge pin, whereby theearpiece becomes pivotally secured by the pin.

A second embodiment of the hinge pin has a first end with a diameterlarger than a largest diameter of a body of the pin and the pin islocally deformable at a second end thereof by the application of heat ormechanical stress. In this case the instructions for installing thehinge pin in the frame include text and/or pictures instructing a userof the kit to insert the pin into a hinge of the eyeglass frame, andthen to melt or mechanically stress a second end of the pin to form asecond end with a diameter greater than the maximum body diameter of thehinge pin, whereby the earpiece becomes pivotally secured by the pin.

A third embodiment of the hinge pin has a first end with a diameterlarger than a largest diameter of a body of the pin and further has ahandling tab attached to the first end, the pin again being locallydeformable at a second end thereof. In this case the instructions forinstalling the hinge pin in the frame comprise text and/or picturesinstructing a user of the kit to insert the pin into a hinge of theeyeglass frame; to soften, melt, or mechanically deform a second end ofthe pin to form a second end with a diameter greater than the maximumbody diameter of the hinge pin, whereby the earpiece becomes pivotallysecured by the pin, and then to break off or otherwise remove the tab.

A first possibility for the tab is a frangibly attached, generally flat,thin member that is easily grasped by a thumb and forefinger. A secondpossibility for the tab is a series of connected identical hinge pinswhich are easily separated.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains,from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, takentogether with the accompanying drawings, in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the eyeglass hinge pin repair kit of theinvention.

FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the replacement hinge pin andhow to install it in an eyeglass frame (partly broken away) with arrowsindicating the temporal sequence of events.

FIG. 3 is a perspective drawing of another alternative embodiment of thehinge pin.

FIG. 4 is a perspective drawing of another alternative embodiment of thehinge pin.

FIG. 5 is a perspective drawing of the hinge pin embodiment of FIG. 4before and after the smaller end is deformed by a small heat source.

FIG. 6 shows how a heat-softened bulbous end of the hinge pin of FIG. 5can be flattened by a cool, hard, flat surface.

FIG. 7 is a perspective drawing showing how to install the hinge pin ofFIG. 4 in an eyeglass frame (partly broken away).

FIG. 8 is a perspective drawing of another alternative embodiment of thehinge pin, featuring a handling tab.

FIG. 9 is a perspective drawing showing how to install the hinge pin ofFIG. 8 in an eyeglass frame (partly broken away).

FIG. 10 is a perspective drawing of a variation of the hinge pin of FIG.8, in which the handling tab comprises a series of identical pinsconnected by easily separable connecting members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a kit 10 for repairing an eyeglass frame missing ahinge pin comprises a container 12, at least one hinge pin 14 in thecontainer, and instructions 16 for installing the hinge pin in theframe. Container 12 can be any type such as is commonly used to packagesmall amounts of material. The type shown in FIG. 1 is cylindrical andmade of transparent plastic with a cap 13. The instructions 16 can beinside container 12 or form part of a label for the kit.

The hinge pin 14 is locally plastically deformable at a first endthereof, either by application of a small flame or other heat source, orby application of mechanical stress. Pin 14 has a maximum diameter smallenough to fit in a hinge bore of the eyeglass frame. Instructions 16comprise text alone or text and/or pictures informing a user of the kithow to install pin 14 in the eyeglass frame.

As illustrated by FIG. 2, for a locally meltable or softenable pin 14the text of instructions 16 will instruct the user to melt a first end18 of the pin with a heat source 19 to form a first deformed end 20 witha diameter greater than the maximum diameter of a body 22 of the hingepin, insert the pin 14 into a hinge bore 24 of the eyeglass frame 26,and then melt or soften a second end 28 of the pin to form a seconddeformed end 29 with a diameter greater than the maximum diameter ofbody 22 of the hinge pin 14, whereby an earpiece 30 is pivotally securedby the pin 14.

Although the body portion 22 of hinge pin 14 is shown as cylindrical inFIG. 2, it can have any arbitrary shape provided that its maximumdiameter is small enough to clear the inside diameter of hinge bore 24.Hinge pin 14 can be of a plastic material with a softening or meltingtemperature range that can be attained with a small flame or other heatsource.

If plastic, pin 14 could be monofilament nylon, for example, such as iscommonly used for sport fishing or in weed trimming machines. However,any plastic material that has a fairly low melting point or softeningtemperature and that is not too soft or brittle could be used.

With a plastic replacement pin, the heat source 19 is applied locally todeform an end of pin 14 into a shape having a diameter larger than thediameter of hinge bore 24. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, pin 14 canhave a first end 18 and body 22 made of a metal such as brass, with asecond end 28 comprising a softer metallic material that is easilymechanically deformed, such as an alloy of tin and lead, attached tobody 22 by soldering, for example.

An alternative embodiment of the hinge pin 14' is depicted in FIG. 4,having a first end 32 with a diameter larger than a largest diameter ofbody 22 of the pin. Again, pin 14' is locally deformable at one end byapplication of a small flame or other heat source, and/or by mechanicalstress. As shown in FIG. 5, the deformable end 28 is softened or meltedby heat into a bulbous shape 34 (for clarity frame 26 and earpiece 30are not shown). If desired, a flattened shape 36 can be attained asshown in FIG. 6 by momentarily pressing a flat, cooler surface 38against softened or melted bulbous shape 34.

The exact shape of first end 32 is immaterial provided it has a maximumdiameter larger than the inner diameter of hinge 38. As illustrated byFIG. 7, in this embodiment the instructions comprise text, pictures, ortext and pictures instructing a user of the kit to insert the second,smaller end 28 of the pin 14' into bore 24 of hinge 38 of the eyeglassframe 26, and then to deform the second end 28 of the pin to form asecond deformed end 29 with a diameter greater than the maximum bodydiameter of hinge pin 14', whereby the earpiece 30 is pivotally securedby pin 14'.

In another alternative embodiment of the hinge pin 14", shown in FIG. 8,it has a first end 32 with a diameter larger than a largest diameter ofthe body 12 of the pin, a handling tab 40 attached by a member 42 tofirst end 32, and a second end 28 which is locally deformable, either byapplication of a small flame or other heat source, or by peening orcrushing with a hard object.

In the case of the embodiment of FIG. 8, the instructions would comprisetext or pictures or text and pictures informing a user of the kit tocarry out the steps shown in FIG. 9. First end 32 of pin 14" is insertedinto a hinge 38 of the eyeglass frame, second end 28 of the pin isdeformed to form a second deformed end 29 with a diameter greater thanthe maximum body diameter of the hinge pin, and tab 40 is broken off orcut, whereby the earpiece 30 is pivotally secured by the pin 14".

The tab 40 can comprise a frangibly attached, generally flat, thinmember that is easily grasped by a thumb and forefinger so that it isconvenient to handle and manipulate. Alternatively, the tab 40 cancomprise a series of connected hinge pins 44, as shown in FIG. 10, withconnecting members 46 being of a type that are easily broken or cut.

In all of the embodiments described above, it is important to match thebody diameter of the replacement hinge pin to the inner bore of thehinge so that there is no excessive looseness in the operation of thehinge.

The advantages of the invention include simplicity and ease in repairingeyeglass flames that have lost a hinge pin, as well as the provision ofa type of replacement hinge pin that will not work itself loose again.

Those having skill in the arts relevant to the present invention willundoubtedly think of various modifications or additions to the inventionbased upon the embodiments disclosed herein. For example, in theimplementations of the hinge pin which are metallic and have a first endlarger in diameter than the bore of the hinge, there could be other waysof deforming the second end of the pin after it is inserted into thehinge, such as simply bending over the second end to secure it in thebore. Therefore, it should be understood that the invention is not to belimited to the disclosed embodiments, but is to be limited only by thefollowing claims.

I claim:
 1. A kit for repairing an eyeglass frame missing a hinge pin,comprising:a container; at least one hinge pin in said container, saidhinge pin having a first end with a diameter larger than a maximumdiameter of a body of said pin, said maximum diameter being small enoughto just fit in a hinge bore of said eyeglass frame, said hinge pin beingplastically deformable at a second end thereof and further comprising ahandling tab attached to said first end.
 2. The kit of claim 1 whereinsaid tab comprises a generally flat, thin member that is easily graspedby a thumb and forefinger of a user of said kit.
 3. The kit of claim 2wherein said hinge pin comprises a plastic material.
 4. The kit of claim3 wherein said plastic material comprises nylon.
 5. The kit of claim 2wherein said hinge pin comprises a metallic material.
 6. The kit ofclaim 1 wherein said tab comprises a series of hinge pins connected byeasily separable connecting members.
 7. The kit of claim 6 wherein saidhinge pins comprise a plastic material.
 8. The kit of claim 7 whereinsaid plastic material comprises nylon.
 9. The kit of claim 6 whereinsaid hinge pins comprise a metallic material.